Episode Alternate
by Kaze Mirai
Summary: Yet another P3-based story. FeMC is the older sister to a younger MC. -Chapter 5: Invoke Persona-  Expect edits/updates to this chapter.
1. Begin

**A/N: This was something I'd been trying to plan for a while. I think I may as well start on it. It's yet another telling of the story of Persona 3, specifically the female protagonist's path in Portable. The male protagonist, Minato Arisato, is included as her little bro. Dunno what he's gonna do yet. Expect Aki/FeMC shipping (maybe slight Shinji/FeMC and/or Ryoji/FeMC). **

**Credit goes to The Observer 00 for the idea/challenge.**

**This is something of a side project while I'm not working on 'The Old Days,' so don't worry if it takes a really long while to update. Warning: there may or may not be poorly written fight scenes, sappy romantic crap, and Kid!Minato being a creepy child in spades (if I can even manage that).**

**FeMC's name here and any P3-based fic I write that includes her is Karin Arisato. I'm not too fond the fan nicknames. Also, I'm terrible coming up with titles. Bear with me on this one. D:**

**Enough rambling from me. Hope you enjoy! **

**-Kaze**

**I don't own Persona 3 and its related stuff.**

* * *

**Episode Alternate  
- **

**Begin**

_-April 6, 2009-_

_Terminal Station: Evening_

There were way too many people here at this time of day.

The brunette made it a point to keep a hold of her brother's hand. She already stuck out like a sore thumb, wearing her school uniform today of all days.

They stopped at the entrance briefly, the teenage girl taking out her cell to check the time in the midst of her favorite song blaring through her red-plated headphones. Closing it and placing it back in her bag, she turned to the young blue-haired boy, who was regarding her with a blank stare, part of his face hidden behind a long fringe. He had his own pair of headphones and a music player, both hanging around his neck.

"We need to get going. The train will be here soon."

"Okay."

"Stay close to me. I mean it."

"Yes."

"You're not tired, are you?"

The boy stifled a yawn. "No."

The older girl frowned. "Hopefully we won't get there too late."

* * *

_Iwatodai Station: Late Night_

She was wrong. They had gotten there too late.

The brunette had to wake up her sibling, when they were almost there, as she almost dozed off herself. Sometime during the trip, she either dreamed up or saw something resembling a small blue butterfly, but shrugged it off. She had spent the better part of her day traveling.

Moving around was so very tiring.

She glanced at the clock hanging in the station on the way towards turn-gates. It was just about midnight…

Just then, the lights in the station went off. The music in her headphones stopped.

Everything became bathed in an unnatural yellowish-green light.

The brunette scoffed. This again? She didn't quite know what to call it, but the small weight leaning on her arm told her she needed to hurry.

… Besides the atmosphere feeling oh so wrong, she could sense that her brother was starting to feel a little ill. Not that he'd ever say so outright. He was a quiet, reclusive boy, and she was the older sister who knew how he ticked.

On the way to their destination, things felt unbearably worse; like blood on the walls and coffins lining the streets. It was all very creepy. The huge moon hanging in the sky didn't help, either. It was just… huge… and a very vivid shade of yellow.

"Hey, you alright?" she asked the boy in a whisper.

His weight shifted, but he didn't respond. Luckily, their destination was already in sight.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a pamphlet. Gekkoukan High, Iwatodai Dormitory. This was going to be home for a while. Nice change of pace, she thought sourly.

After checking for the last time to make sure that the boy wouldn't keel over, the pair of siblings, the older brunette in lead, entered the towering building.

* * *

_Dorm, 1__st__ Floor Lounge: Late Night_

The room was eerily empty. She looked around cautiously, as though expecting something else out of the ordinary to show up.

"Welcome."

Her brother's grip on her hand noticeably tightened. "Nee-san…"

She turned. Standing before them was an unfamiliar boy with dark hair, a mole on his face, and striped clothes. In contrast to his very pale complexion, his eyes were a vivid, almost eerie shade of blue.

"What the…?" she started, watching as the strange child took one step towards her and her brother.

"You're late. I've been waiting a very long time," the boy spoke, holding something that looked like a piece of paper in their direction. "If you want to proceed, then please sign here. It's a contract."

The brunette eyed it suspiciously, then looked to her brother. He seemed unusually alert now, almost on edge seeing this strange kid.

"Will he have to sign, too? My younger brother?" she asked, her voice a little shaky.

The pale boy eyed the siblings idly. "That remains to be seen. Anyway, there's nothing to be afraid of." He must have noticed her slight agitation, as a small smile crossed his features. "It only binds you to accepting full responsibility for your actions."

"Nee-san," her brother spoke cautiously, "Make sure you read it."

"I know," she said quietly, taking a closer look at the contract.

She was expecting to see a page full of text, but all she saw was one sentence:

_**I chooseth this fate of mine own free will.**_

Below that was a space to sign her name. Somehow, Stripes (what she decided to call him for lack of anything else) also handed her a pen. Oh well, May as well get this over with; she was starting to feel very tired. She wrote her name with precise strokes, making sure she didn't mess up the characters as she wrote them:

_**Arisato Karin**_

When she finished, both the pen and the contract disappeared in thin air. Stripes smiled again. "… Very well. Time is something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end."

He took a step back. "And so it begins…" The next moment, he, too, disappeared, leaving the siblings alone.

Karin could only look on for the next moments, slightly confused. She felt her brother's weight start to sag against her again, but before she could even check on him, another voice made her jump.

"… Who's there?"

Red and blue-gray hues instantly locked onto a girl with light brown hair wearing a pink cardigan. How long she had been there, Karin didn't know, but her eyes were widened. She was obviously scared. "How can you be… But it's…! Don't tell me…"

The girl took out something that gleamed in the darkness. It looked like a gun!

"Nee-san…" The blue-haired boy inhaled sharply.

"Stay behind me," Karin instructed quietly.

"Wait!" yet another voice called, almost startling the pink-clad girl. It was another female, one with crimson hair. She had an air of royalty about her.

"…!" The first girl lowered the gun, as the unnatural green dimmed and the lamps in the lounge came on. "The lights…!"

Karin felt slightly relieved that at least things were somewhat back to normal… well, not really…

The redhead was the first to address her after a short moment of silence. "I didn't think you'd arrive so late. My name is Kirijo Mitsuru. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."

"Who're they?" First Girl (Karin decided to call her, for lack of a name) questioned.

"They're transfer students. It was a last minute decision to assign them here. They'll eventually be moved to rooms in the normal dorms," Mitsuru told her.

"Is it okay for them to be here?" First Girl regarded them warily, as though they were some kind of monsters.

"I guess we'll see." A hint of a smile appeared on the other girl's face.

Karin didn't know whether to feel self-conscious or insulted. Thankfully, she didn't have to make that decision as Mitsuru finally decided to address her and her brother again.

"This is Takeba Yukari. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you."

The girl named Yukari shifted uncomfortably a bit. "… Hi, I'm Yukari." It served her right to feel awkward, after pulling a gun on a couple of unarmed people.

Still, Karin smiled politely as she spoke. "I'm Arisato Karin. Nice to meet you. This is my younger brother Minato." She nudged the boy, who had seemingly dozed off. "Say hi."

Minato's head suddenly jerked. "Oh… um…" He felt slightly awkward, too, but his face didn't really show it. "I'm Arisato Minato." He bowed slightly, though he really didn't have the energy to do so.

"Oh." Yukari's eyes widened slightly. "Nice to meet you, too."

Good. The pleasantries were taken care of… Unfortunately, Minato had one more thing on his mind, the very thing Karin wanted to avoid.

"Takeba-san, why do you have a gun?" Even if the young boy's expression wasn't so deadpan, Yukari was definitely more spooked.

"Huh? Um… well, it's sort of like a hobby… Well, not really a hobby…" She was definitely failing at coming up with a lie. Of course, Minato wouldn't have believed her anyway, if his knowing gaze was anything to go by.

Mitsuru seemed to detect this and intervened. "You know how it is these days… It's for self defense." She brushed a strand of hair matter-of-factly. "It's not a real gun of course."

Karin pursed her lips. She should have known.

"It's getting late," the redhead continued, eyeing Minato as he rubbed his eyes. She turned her attention to Karin again. "You'll find your room on the 3rd floor. Your brother's room is on the 2nd."

Karin nodded. "Thank you."

"Your things should already be there. I suggest you tuck in for the night."

Yukari seemed to spring to life again at this point. With a slight smile, she said, "Oh… I'll show you the way. Follow me."

"Huh?" Karin was taken aback. "Alright. Minato, let's go."

"Mmm…" The boy looked like he could barely stand. The trip must have really worn him out. And then he didn't seem too well.

Mitsuru stepped forward. "I'll take him to his room," she said. "You can go along with Takeba."

When she saw that Karin still wasn't convinced, she added, "If you want to check on him, his room is at the end of the 2nd-floor hall. This is a co-ed dorm; normally, students of opposite genders aren't allowed in each other's rooms, but an exception will be made in your case."

The copper-haired girl blinked. "Oh. Thank you, Kirijo-san." She relayed what was just said to her younger brother, who simply nodded in reply, surprisingly, before heading upstairs with Yukari.

* * *

_Dorm, 3__rd__ Floor Hallway: Late Night_

It didn't take long to get there at all, although Karin's mind often wandered back to Minato. Her train of thought halted when Yukari addressed her.

"This is it. Pretty easy to remember, huh? Since it's right at the end of the hall." She smiled a bit. "So, any questions?"

Normally, Karin would have just thanked her and let her be on her way, but there was one other thing that bothered her… Two actually: Stripes and that contract. But it was already late, so she asked at random.

"… Does that boy live here?"

"Huh? What boy?" Yukari was confused.

So much for that one, Karin thought, scratching her head lightly. Was Stripes really a figment of her imagination? No… Minato saw him, too, he clearly did…

"Um… Can I ask you a question?" The pink-clad girl spoke up.

"Hmm?" The brunette cocked her head slightly. "What is it?"

"On your way here from the station, was everything okay?"

Karin found herself pursing her lips again. Sure, if she excluded the creepy moon, coffins in the streets, pools of blood, strange creepy children and lastly having a gun pulled on her, then everything was just peachy-keen. She opted with a simple, "Yeah."

"Oh." Yukari seemed relieved. "It seems you're alright." She started to walk away, but she suddenly paused.

"Um… I'm sure you still have other questions, but let's save for later, okay? Good night."

… The girl was obviously in a hurry to get downstairs, the way she ran off like that. Karin shrugged. She'd had enough excitement for one day, anyway. She thought she'd go check on Minato but she stifled a yawn as she took a step forward. Whoa. She was sleepier than she thought.

"Sorry, little bro," she whispered to herself, opening the door to her assigned room. "Guess I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

_Dorm, 3__rd__ Floor, Karin's Room: Late Night_

She closed the door behind her, groaning at the sight of the boxes stacked on each other. She'd have to unpack some other time. In the meantime, she opened one box and fished out her alarm clock. She was going to need it.

After changing into some pajamas, Karin all but flopped onto the bed, pulling the comforter over herself and drifting off to sleep.

… She'd really need the rest for tomorrow.


	2. First Day

**A/N: It's been a long while, but here's the second chapter! It's kind of long, though, I really wanted to cram the whole first day in there. I think I'm remedy length by skipping over trivial stuff everyone knows about already.**

**Thanks to the Observer and neko-neko-aishizu for reviews. I'm just getting started with Kid!Minato. Just you wait until later in this story!**

**There's an early bird appearance of a certain character this chapter! Everyone should know who it is. If not, then you'll have to read to find out. (o.-)b**

**I don't own Persona, d00d.**

* * *

**The First Day**

* * *

_-April 7, 2009-_

_Dorm, Karin's Room: Early Morning_

*Knock knock*

"It's Yukari. Are you awake?"

Karin turned towards the door, straightening the ribbon on her uniform. It was a good thing she was already up, surprisingly before her alarm went off. Takeba certainly had good timing. "Yeah. Come in."

She had a feeling the other girl would come in regardless.

The door opened and Yukari stepped inside, keeping one arm behind her back. In fact, she looked slightly awkward. When her gaze lingered on the unpacked boxes for a little too long, Karin had to speak up. "Relax, nothing's gonna jump out and bite you. I'll put my things away later."

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry." Yukari shook her head. "Anyway, good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Somewhat." I had a dream I was being shot at by a fake gun, Karin wanted to add, but she forced a smile instead. She really needed to break that habit.

"Oh." The girl looked slightly dismayed. "Well, Mitsuru-senpai asked me to take you to school today."

"What about Minato?"

"You just missed him. Senpai left with him a few minutes ago to show him where the elementary school was. She said if you would like to know as well to ask her for the directions later."

Karin nodded. "Alright then." She had no choice in the matter. However, she wasn't too worried. Minato was always an early riser no matter how he felt. She hoped he was better.

"Are you ready to go?" Yukari asked, her head cocking to the side a bit.

"I'll be fine by myself." Karin draped her headphones around her neck and clipped on her music player. She usually went to school alone if Minato wasn't with her. To be honest, she wasn't too comfortable walking with other people…

"But you don't want to be late on your first day, do you, Karin-san? Come on, let's go!"

The brunette found that again, she didn't have a choice in the matter as Yukari dragged her from her room (as soon as she picked up her school bag, of course). Apparently she wasn't taking no for an answer.

* * *

_New City Passenger Train Anehazuru: Early Morning_

The train was pretty crowded that morning, many of the passengers students dressed in the same uniform Karin was wearing.

Her mind often drifted back to her younger brother, but she had to convince herself that he would be okay. She had to admit to being a bit nervous; would he be alright by himself with Kirijo? Kirijo… where had she heard that name before, now that she thought of it…

"Anyway, Takeba-san," she decided to address her fellow junior, who had been silent, "is this the way we always have to go?"

"Yeah, we take the monorail to get there," Yukari answered. "Bet your last school wasn't like that, huh?"

"No. I walked with Minato most of the way, since our schools were in the same direction. We eventually went our separate ways once we were about a block away."

"I see…" The other girl nodded. "Oh, this is my favorite part of the trip… when it feels like we're gliding over the sea." She closed her eyes for a brief moment, but when she realized the auburn-haired girl was still looking at her, she shrank back a bit, smiling sheepishly.

Karin raised an eyebrow. She hoped Takeba didn't do this every morning.

"Our stop is Port Island Station at the end of the line. From there, we walk," the pink-clad girl explained. "Have you ever heard of Tatsumi Port Island? It's man-made. They built our school right in the middle." She started to gaze out the window and she suddenly smiled. "See, Arisato-san, you can see it now! Take a look!"

The view Karin saw was spectacular. Across the sea on the train was the island Yukari spoke of; to think that the place she used to live so long ago had such a view. One thing she had never noticed there was the white structure that seemed to tower above everything else there.

"Can't argue with the view," she said, a genuine smile spreading across her face. "It's beautiful."

"I know, right?" Yukari beamed.

Before Karin knew it, they had reached their destination. She was so caught up in the view of the school that Yukari had to drag her off the train by the arm for the second time that day.

Before long, the front gates of the large white building came into view. A female student standing by the gates turned to Yukari and Karin, hearing their footsteps.

"Mornin'!" she greeted warmly.

"Morning!" Yukari waved back.

"A friend of yours?" Karin asked, curious.

"Nah, not really. I've seen her around last year, though," Yukari sniffed. She walked ahead a few steps ahead of the other girl and stood, gazing at her with a smile. "Well, here we are… Welcome to Gekkoukan High! You're gonna love it here!"

Another smile escaped Karin, despite her efforts to keep a straight face. Perhaps things weren't going to be so bad after all.

* * *

_Gekkoukan High, 1__st__ Floor, Main Lobby: Early Morning_

"… You're okay from here, right, Karin-san?"

Karin looked up at Yukari as she straightened her inside shoes. "I think so."

"You should go see your homeroom teacher first," Yukari explained. "The faculty office is right there to the left… And that concludes the tour. Do you have any questions before I go?"

"Where's my homeroom?" Karin's head cocked to the side ever-so-slightly. "I mean, I don't even know what class I'm gonna be in…"

"I think they're posted on the bulletin board," Yukari told her, "but I haven't checked yet, either."

"Oh… well, I don't want to keep you from wherever you have to go." Karin tapped her toes on the floor. Yep, the school shoes were good now.

"… Right." The other girl was slow to reply for some reason. The auburn-haired girl raised an eyebrow.

"Um… Takeba-san?"

"Oh, sorry." Yukari started to leave, but she paused at the last second. "Hey… about last night… don't tell anyone what you saw, okay? See you later."

Just like last night, she was such in a hurry to leave. Karin wondered if this was just some sort of weird habit or something. She shrugged; well, it wasn't her problem. Her mind soon drifted back to Minato. Was he doing well?

* * *

_Gekkoukan Elementary School, Front Gates: Early Morning_

Gekkoukan Elementary School was a new facility; it had only recently opened a few years ago.

Minato blinked, music playing softly through his headphones as he stood at the front gate. He had been dropped off a block away after a five minute ride in a very expensive automobile, which he guessed was owned by Kirijo-san's family.

He really would have walked here himself; it was within walking distance. However, Mitsuru insisted on accompanying him at least partway there.

… In that respect, the young woman reminded him of his elder sister.

The boys' uniform consisted of a black jacket, worn zipped over a plain white buttoned shirt, black shorts, and a thin black ribbon tie. Minato had taken a few liberties with this ensemble, leaving his jacket unzipped and opting to wear knee-length black pants, low socks, and his favorite dark buckled boots.

Fiddling with the music player he wore around his neck, Minato turned the volume up a solitary notch to settle his nerves.

_~I never felt like so miserable…  
__I never felt like thinking this would last forever.  
__Baby stay with me…  
__You gotta tell me your love come all over me…~_

For the briefest of moments, he closed his eyes… and promptly collided into another student.

"Oi! Watch where you're goin'!" The black-haired student shoved him backwards, knocking him off balance.

"M-my apologies, I didn't see you." Minato righted himself. Surely it wouldn't be good if he had fallen over. His head swam slightly; he had to admit he was feeling a bit woozy from the trip yesterday.

"Course not! What kind of dork walks around wearin' headphones with his eyes closed?" The boy shoved him again, knocking him to the ground.

Several other students stopped and stared, Minato noticed all too quickly. "Look, I know I made a mistake, but…"

"'But' nothin'! A dork's a dork!" the boy snapped, hands clenched into fists.

"Hey, leave him alone, Kimura." Another boy stepped forward from the growing crowd of students. He wore an unzipped orange hooded fest underneath his uniform jacket. He had dusty brown hair and was looking at the boy called Kimura with stern hazel eyes. "He already apologized, so put it behind you and stop."

Kimura looked at Minato, then the newcomer, still seething. "Tch, whatever, I don't need to get in trouble my first day. You just stay out my way, you hear me dork?" He stormed off towards the entrance.

The crowd slowly dispersed after that, whispering amongst themselves.

"That kid was going to get slugged by Kimura."

"Who was he, anyway? He looks kinda frail."

"Dunno."

"Wouldn't be surprised if he keeled over any minute, though…"

Minato sighed. Things certainly weren't going too well. Nevertheless, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

"Hey, are you alright?" The boy who told off Kimura was giving him a concerned look.

"Yes. I am. Thank you." Minato stood and straightened his clothes.

"It's no problem. Kimura's always trying to pick fights with people, but he always backs off whenever someone stands up to him." The boy's head tilted slightly. "Um… are you new here?"

"I just transferred, actually. I'm Arisato. Arisato Minato."

"I'm Amada Ken. Welcome to Gekkoukan Elementary." The boy named Ken reached out a hand, which Minato tentatively shook.

"Thank you, Amada-kun," the blue-haired youth replied softly.

Ken's brow furrowed slightly. "Whoa, you speak very formally. Come to think of it, I did see you getting out of a really expensive-looking vehicle about a block away from here. Is your family wealthy?"

"Eh?" Minato's eyes widened. "N-no. I just got a ride here this morning, that's all. I don't have any parents."

Ken blinked, and he looked almost melancholy. "… Oh. I didn't know. Sorry."

"U-uh, um, it's okay, really, Amada-kun," Minato said quickly. "It happened a long time ago… and I'm not wealthy or anything, I just speak this way…"

"Oh, okay then." Ken seemed to have gotten out of his brief funk, though he suddenly looked as though he'd been knocked silly. "Oh, crap, we shouldn't be standing here talking. Come on, we don't want to be late!"

Before the blue-haired boy could react, the other youth took hold of his sleeve and dragged him inside the building.

…This was exactly how Minato did not want to begin the school year.

* * *

_Gekkoukan High School, Auditorium: Early Morning_

It was official. The principal was putting Karin to sleep.

"… if a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well…"

Karin, yawned, reaching for her headphones to tune out the little old man. Her day had been sort of normal so far, like a typical first day. She had to sort of push her way past a crowd of students only to find her name sloppily written on a note attached to a roster of class 2-F (where she found Takeba's name, ironically). Then she met her teacher, Isako Toriumi, who somehow did not read her file in advance. She smiled like she always did, and spoke politely. She had to keep a civil tone.

And now, here she was, bored out her skull. She started to turn up the sound on her mp3 player when she heard something behind her. Turning her head ever-so-slightly, she saw two boys whispering to each other out the corner of her eye.

"Hey, I heard we got a transfer student," said the first.

The second boy smirked. "Yep, I've seen her, too. She came to school with Takeba."

"Seriously? Dude…"

"I hear talking." A stern-faced male teacher spoke up this time. Karin's head snapped forward immediately. "I think it's someone in Toriumi's class."

"Shh!" Toriumi hissed. "Be quiet! You're going to get me in trouble!"

Karin nonchalantly turned up the volume. The rumors weren't going to stop anytime soon…

* * *

_Gekkoukan Elementary School, Classroom: Morning_

Minato was starting to feel ill, and he hadn't even been sitting at his desk for more than five minutes.

His blue-gray eyes focused lazily towards the front of the classroom, where the teacher was writing his name on the chalkboard in front.

"… you may call me Iwata-sensei," Iwata Hajime, a young man with dark brown hair and a kind expression. "As you no doubt saw the sign outside this room, you guys and girls are in class 5-B this year…"

"Arisato-kun…?" Ken, who sat in the seat next to him, was gently tapping the blue-haired youth on the shoulder. "Are you okay? You look a little pale."

Minato shifted his head a little, burying his face in his folded arms, shaking his head. "Too much traveling. Tired."

Ken was about to ask further when Iwata cleared his throat. "It would do you some good to pay attention, Amada-kun. Arisato-kun, you're not in kindergarten anymore, so sit up."

Ken stiffened a little in his seat, and Minato resorted to resting his chin in his hands. Several students around them snickered and started whispering again.

Iwata silenced them at once, swatting the chalkboard with a yardstick to get their attention. "Alright," he bellowed, "let's get down to business, shall we?"

"Yes, Sensei!" the class said in unison. Minato had to stifle a yawn.

* * *

_Gekkoukan High School, Classroom: After School_

The rest of the day flew by for Karin, as the teachers mostly talked about the topics they would be covering for the first term. When the bell rang signaling the end of homeroom and the students started getting their belongings together, Karin exhaled a breath she wasn't really aware she was holding.

As the auburn-haired girl stood up and started to get her bag, a voice behind her spoke up.

"'Sup dude!"

Karin whirled around, and came face to face with a male student. He wore a blue dress shirt underneath his uniform jacket and a baseball cap over very short dark hair, red eyes widened.

The student chuckled. "Haha, you look like a deer in headlights."

"Who are you?" Her voice came out as almost a squeak. It always did when her nerves got rattled.

"Me? I'm Iori Junpei. Nice to meet ya." Junpei gave her a friendly grin. "I transferred here when I was in eighth grade. I know how tough it is bein' the new kid. So I thought I'd check up on you, make sure you weren't freaking out on your first day."

"Arisato Karin. Nice to meet you, too. I'm kinda used to it, really," Karin said, picking up her school bag. If only this boy knew. At least he seemed friendly enough, Karin thought.

There was a heavy sigh behind her as Yukari approached them. "At it again, huh? Honestly, is there any girl you wouldn't hit on?" She was giving Junpei a slightly disgusted look. "Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?"

"Takeba-san, I'm fine, really," Karin spoke up.

"See, you heard her," Junpei chimed in. "I was just bein' friendly!"

"If you say so," Yukari huffed, turning to Karin. "Anyway, it's some coincidence that we ended up in the same class, huh?"

"I know. Took me by surprise, actually." The auburn-haired girl smiled. Takeba seemed to easily switch moods, she thought.

"Funny, huh?"

"Um, hello? Did you forget I'm in this class, too?" Junpei must have started to feel left out, because he was awfully loud when he spoke. "C'mon, let me in on the fun!"

Karin had to suppress a smirk when Yukari gave him a half-murderous glare.

"By the way, do you guys know each other?" he addressed Karin, getting her attention.

"We just met yesterday. Why?"

"I heard you two came to school together this morning." Junpei grinned again, but this time Karin found it a little off-putting. "A couple of cuties like you, walking side-by-side. The whole class was buzzing about you."

Yukari frowned at him. "Ugh, will you cut that out? I hate dealing with rumors like that!" She jabbed a finger at Karin. "I'm used to it but she just got here, you know? Don't you feel bad, spreading rumors like that?"

Junpei adjusted his cap a little as Yukari picked up her school bag. "Well, I got to go take care of some archery team stuff," the cardigan-clad girl said with an air of finality. She turned to Junpei and jabbed a finger at his chest. "Don't try anything funny, you got that, Junpei?"

She huffed again and left the classroom, as though she really wanted to get away from the cap-wearing boy.

"No one takes rumors seriously, anyway, Yuka-tan!" he called after her as the door slammed. He turned to Karin, grimacing. "What is she, your nanny?"

"I most certainly hope not." Karin's expression was slightly perturbed.

"Anyway, just to clear things up, I seriously did not come over here to hit on you or anything."

"And that's an oddly specific denial."

Junpei chuckled. "Well, if you ever have a problem, you can tell your ol' pal Junpei about it!"

Karin found herself smiling. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind… Junpei."

"Heh, cool." Junpei gave her a thumbs-up as he picked up his school bag. "Well, I'll be seeing you around then."

As the male teen left the classroom, Karin breathed a sigh of relief. All things aside, she had a decent first day for a change.

* * *

Junpei later caught up to Karin at the school gates and persuaded her to let him walk her back to the dorms, making small talk along the way about potential school clubs to join and random subjects. The auburn-haired girl had to admit that she felt comfortable around Junpei; then again, she'd always gotten along with most boys… ones that weren't jerks, anyway.

When they reached the dorm, they found Minato standing at the front doors, fiddling with a set of keys in his hands. Sensing the teens' presence, he looked up at them, blue-gray eyes widening a little upon seeing Junpei.

"Hey, Minato!" Karin walked over to him and ruffled his hair a little. "How was school?"

"… F-fine." The blue-haired boy still looked wary. "U-um, Nee-san…"

"Oh." The lone girl motioned to the cap-wearing teen as though to answer his unasked question. "Iori Junpei. He's in my class, and he insisted on walking with me."

Minato nodded in understanding. Karin looked over to Junpei. "This is my brother, Minato. He's in elementary school. There was a bit of a mix-up with the dorm stuff, and they couldn't really separate us… so, yeah." Karin shrugged.

"Um… nice to meet you, Iori-san," Minato said, bowing slightly.

"Same here." Junpei adjusted his cap. "You okay, though? You look kinda out of it."

"It's been a long couple of days," Karin said quickly, answering for her brother. "Spent the better part of it traveling."

"Ah. Well, see you tomorrow." Junpei gave the siblings a wave and a grin before leaving. As soon as he was out of sight, Minato looked up to his sister.

"… I know how to speak for myself, Nee-san," he said. "You…"

"Don't strain yourself, little bro," Karin told him, taking out her own keys and opening the door. I'll help you out, okay?"

* * *

_Dorm, 1__st__ Floor Lounge: Evening_

"Welcome back."

Mitsuru greeted the Arisato siblings as they set entered the dorm.

Karin simply waved. "Good evening, Senpai."

Minato stifled a yawn, swaying a little as he stood next to her.

For some reason, the crimson-haired senior found this slightly amusing. "Long day?" she asked with a queenly smirk.

"For me," Karin answered, "not really. In Minato's case, yes." She motioned the youth towards the stairs. "Go on ahead, little bro, you look like you're going to crash."

"Uh… uh-huh… I… dun feel well," he muttered, half staggering towards the stairs.

Mitsuru looked on in concern, but said nothing at first. It was a moment before she addressed the auburn-haired underclassman.

"Arisato, please be aware that you cannot go out on your own at night. It is too dangerous."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Senpai," Karin replied, eyebrows furrowed. "I still have to unpack…"

"I see. Well, in any case, remember to get a good night's rest."

"Thank you. I will." With that said, Karin headed towards the stairs, but before noticing Yukari sitting at a table in the kitchen area. When the pink-clad girl noticed her presence, she turned around. "Oh, hi. What are you doing?"

"Just looking around," Karin shrugged.

"Well, there's not much to see." Yukari's expression remained flat. "Anyway, you must be tired. You should turn in early."

"… Yeah, Mitsuru-senpai just told me the same thing…"

"Oh." Yukari didn't say anything else, choosing to resume messing around with her phone.

Karin raised a brow. What was with Takeba's attitude?

Leaving the other girl alone, Karin headed towards the stairs.

* * *

_Dorm, Second Floor: Evening_

She found Minato sitting with this head nestled in folded arms at a table in the second floor lounge, fast asleep.

She sighed. He really was tired. Stirring the boy awake (although she didn't want to), she led him down the hallway to his room and into bed. He'd have to finish unpacking when he was actually up for it.

Passing by the door on the opposite side of the hall, she noticed a golden nameplate on the door, identical to one displaying Minato's name on the door to his room.

"Sanada Akihiko," Karin read the characters on the plate. Deciding she'd better get going, she started to walk away, but, her curiosity got the better of her once she realized someone was in this room. This Akihiko person was obviously a resident of the dorm she hadn't met yet, so it wouldn't really hurt to introduce herself, right?

Reaching her hand out slowly, she knocked on the door three times.

"Is that Mitsuru?" a male voice spoke from the other side of the door. "Sorry, I'm busy, but can you come back later?"

Karin shrugged. Oh well, it was worth a try. She left the hallway and headed for her own room, finished unpacking her belongings, and went to bed, falling asleep almost right away.

* * *

_Dorm, First Floor Lounge: Late Night_

Mitsuru looked up from her book the moment she heard footsteps coming from upstairs.

A young man with silver hair and gray eyes walked into the lounge, wearing a red vest over his uniform shirt, straightening a pair of black leather gloves over his hands.

"I'm going out for a bit," he announced.

"Hm?" Mitsuru's expression didn't change.

"Have you seen the newspapers lately?"

"I know. People who had no problems before are suddenly developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome. I've seen it in the news quite often lately." Mitsuru closed her book. "They say it's due to stress, but…"

The silver-haired male smirked, making him look almost arrogant. "Yeah, right. It has to be THEM. Otherwise it's not worth my time."

"You have a one-track mind," Mitsuru said pointedly. "Will you be okay on your own?"

"Don't worry. I'm just getting a little practice."

Mitsuru looked on as he walked out the front doors of the dorm and sighed after they closed.

"… This isn't a game, Akihiko…"

* * *

**A/N: Another one bites the dust. Next chapter: More boring character interaction and Karin's first Velvet Room visit! The battle at the dorm is just around the corner, guys!**

**Don't worry, The Old Days isn't dead. The next chapter will probably be up after New Year's, though.**

**Edit: Fixed some minor errors.**


	3. This Strange Sensation

**After being dead for much longer than my other story was by far, here's a new chapter!**

**Unfortunately, there's still more regurgitated in-game story crap here, but I at least included a couple of Kid!Minato scenes. Also, I'm just now noticing that Kid!Minato is more "Ill Boy" than anything else at the moment... but there's a reason for that. Besides, Pharos is the resident Creepy Child, and two of them would be quite redundant.**

**... I do frequent TV Tropes.  
**

**Quick review answers (months late!):**

**neko-neko-aishizu: Minato's feeling better this chapter! It'll cost him next chapter, though.**

**The Observer 00: Switching between Karin's and Minato's perspectives is my way of skipping over in-game stuffs that I don't want to cover. Because it gets repetitive when it comes to these kinds of stories in particular. :c**

**arkee: Karin's politeness is kind of like a mask. Just like her constant smiling. Personally, I think it goes together. Minato's just as polite only because his sister is.**

* * *

**Persona 3 isn't owned by me. It's owned by Atlus.  
**

* * *

**This Strange Sensation**

**-April 8, 2009-**

_Gekkoukan Elementary School, Classroom 5-B: Lunchtime_

Today, Minato was feeling slightly better.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep other students from staring at him.

Honestly, the boy was hoping that his second day of class as a fifth-grader would be much better, but this was ridiculous. He was used to stares, it was the same at his previous school; it was the whispering that started to wear on his nerves.

During the lunch break, he had been about to start eating a bento his sister bought for him when a smirking student parked himself in front of his and Ken's desks.

"Hey, Arisato!" The boy grinned at him, mirth twinkling in his eyes. Ken made a disapproving noise, although the raven-haired boy didn't quite catch it.

"What is it?" Minato simply stared at him, his expression unreadable. The youth so far had made no attempt to apologize for his interruption.

"There's something some high school students were talking about the other day," the student said, "about some person who sits and stares at walls all the time and talks to themselves."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

At this, the boy burst into laughter, making Minato and Ken exchange confused looks. Minato's expression became irritated. This kid was ten kinds of rude. "What's so funny?" He had meant to sound intimidating, but it clearly and no effect on the recovering student.

"Of course _Arisato_ wouldn't find it weird," he gasped. "I mean, you walk around with headphones on and your eyes closed. I bet that whoever those high school students were talking about's related to you!"

Several students who were listening in nearby snickered. Minato's ears turned pink. "Only kids believe in stupid rumors," he said, although he was looking increasingly rattled. "Besides, you don't even know who they were even talking about!"

Apparently, even high school students could act his age, spreading rumors about people like that. Minato did not like the thought, and now it had cost him his appetite. He hastily closed the bento and all but slammed his chopsticks on his desk as though to emphasize the agitation he felt.

The boy started laughing again and went off to talk with his friends. Ken looked on with an indifferent glance. "You shouldn't let people get to you like that, Arisato-kun; he was trying to get you to stoop to his level."

"But it's just hard…" Minato started picking at his food. He'd lost his appetite just like that; he never did too well in stressful situations, made worse by the fact that Karin would always lecture him whenever she got wind of it.

"… Being around people like them?" Ken finished, his voice carrying a hint of disgust. "I know the feeling. It's a chore."

It was at this point that Minato realized, for the first time in his life, there was a person that he thought he would be able to relate to.

* * *

The rest of the day passed quickly, fortunately for Minato. Ken offered to walk with him, but he had to politely decline; having someone find out that he currently stayed in a building with high-school students wouldn't exactly work in his favor.

The brunette looked slightly confused when told that he would be simply going out his way if he accepted the offer, but nonetheless bid Minato farewell and walked out the classroom by himself.

* * *

Thankfully, no one bothered Minato on his way back to the dorm. Eventually, Karin caught up with him as he turned the corner, asking him about his day and if he made any friends yet as she always did. When all he did was shrug and shake his head, the smile she had been wearing faded.

"Kids aren't starting to give you a hard time already, are they?" she asked, concern in her voice.

"Not at all, Nee-san."

"Minato…" The teenage girl narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, as though he were almost caught stealing from a cookie jar. It was almost comical, really.

"I'm fine, Nee-san. Really." The boy started to remove his headphones from his ears from which an instrumental tune was faintly heard. "You don't have to keep worrying about me all the time."

"It's when you say things like that that I _really_ worry," Karin said as they reached the front doors of the Iwatodai dorm. She quickly fished her keys out her pocket and proceeded to open the door.

* * *

_Dorm, 1__st__ Floor Lounge: Evening_

What awaited the Arisato siblings when they entered the lounge was Yukari, who was talking with a bespectacled man they had never seen before. The pink-clad junior looked over in their direction as soon as Minato closed the door behind them, her expression slightly wary, just like the night they first arrived.

"Oh, they're back," she said plainly.

The sophisticated-looking older male, wearing a black turtleneck under a beige suit jacket and matching pants, turned to survey the duo with dark brown hues. "So, these are our new guests…"

Yukari motioned Karin and Minato towards the sofas with an awkward expression. Apparently, she wanted to get the introductions out the way.

"Good evening," Karin said politely, unsure of how to start the conversation. Minato simply nodded, deciding to stay silent for the moment.

"Good evening," the man answered. "My name is Ikutsuki Shuji. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school."

"Nice to meet you, Ukitsuki-san," Karin said without a moment's hesitation. She knew she said it wrong, but she also for a fact it would take her a few times to pronounce his name right. "I'm Arisato Karin. I'm just starting my junior year here."

"I'm Arisato Minato. Fifth year of elementary school. Um… nice to meet you, Ikutsuki-san." Her brother, as usual, was the opposite case.

"That's 'I-ku-tsu-ki,'" the Chairman laughed lightly. "Hard to say, isn't it? That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes."

_I'm not in kindergarten, you know,_ Karin wanted to say. But instead, she just smiled. Minato's face remained blank, as usual.

"I apologize for the confusion regarding your accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive your proper room assignments," Ikutsuki explained, taking off his glasses to clean them.

"Proper room… would that mean I'll move to an elementary school student dorm, Ikutsuki-san?" Minato asked.

The man's head tilted sideways slightly. "I'm afraid that remains to be seen, but that's generally how it goes." He looked to Karin this time. "Is there anything you'd like to ask, Karin-san?"

… _Did he just not answer Minato's question?_ Karin pushed the thought aside, but she did want to know a couple of things.

"Why did you come here?"

"To welcome the two of you, of course." Ikutsuki promptly turned to Yukari for a moment, breaking the awkward flow of the conversation. "Speaking of which, Yukari-san, where is Mitsuru?"

"Oh, I think she's upstairs." Yukari wasn't expecting to be called upon again, and had jumped a little when she was addressed. If she'd been any quieter, Karin would have forgotten she was there.

"As diligent as always. Still, it wouldn't hurt to come down and say hello…" The Chairman put his glasses back on, turning his attention back to the siblings again. "Do you have another question?"

"Who else lives here?" The copper-haired junior knew there was one other person, at least, but was there really anyone else?

"There are currently five students in this dorm: You, your younger brother, Yukari here, Mitsuru, and a senior named Akihiko Sanada," Ikutsuki answered. "I hope you all get along."

Sanada… The name of the person she hadn't seen yet… well, she had knocked on their door and walked off when she found that they thought she was someone else (Mitsuru).

"Do you have another question?"

At first, Karin felt that she didn't have anything else to ask. However, something nagged at her in the back of her mind. Yukari's shifty expression and demeanor weren't helping matters either.

"Well, I did see something odd when I arrived here. In Iwatodai, I mean," she started to explain. Proper room assignments aside- she doubted that the Chairman would even know how long they were even going to stay here, given how he had answered Minato…

"You saw something odd? Like what?" This seemed to pique his interest, but Yukari looked like she wanted to completely disappear.

"Well," Karin began, "I'm not quite sure how to describe it, but…"

"You were probably just tired," the man interrupted. "I wouldn't worry about it…" He gave the darker-haired brunette a small smile. "It's bad for your complexion you know."

… Something definitely wasn't right here…

"If that's the case, then," Karin said, "There's nothing else…"

The Chairman smiled at them again as he stood. "Then, I hope you have a successful school year."

"Thank you very much, Ikitsuki-san." Karin followed suit, as did Minato and Yukari, and bowed slightly.

"Nee-san, it's, 'I-ku-tsu-ki,'" corrected Minato. "That's why you always mess up some people's names; you talk too fast."

Ikutsuki chuckled lightly. "It's alright, really. Now if you'll excuse me…" He started to leave, thought better of it, and turned back to Karin and Minato. "You two must be tired from all the excitement; you should go to bed early." Pointing his index finger toward the ceiling, he concluded, "As they say, 'The early bird catches the bookworm!'"

All he got in response were two pairs of blank stares.

"… Please, forgive the bad pun," he said, chuckling again, albeit awkwardly.

Yukari made some sort of noise halfway between an exasperated groan and a sigh. "… You'll get used to his lame jokes…"

Somehow, Karin doubted that.

She politely excused herself and Minato from Yukari and the Chairman, making up an excuse that she still had to unpack her things (which wasn't really true, but she figured her brother still hadn't finished) and led the young boy away.

When they reached the second floor landing, considerably out of earshot of the other two, Minato was the first to speak.

"Nee-san, do you think Ikutsuki-san and the others know something that they don't want to tell us?"

"It really does seem like it, doesn't it?" Karin sat on one of the seats in the lounge area. "Asking about it right out didn't work, either…"

"About our rooms?" Minato questioned. "Maybe whoever does that stuff doesn't really want to separate us… but it still feels kind of odd being here, with other high school students…"

"Not that, little brother," Karin told him plainly. "The first night, when we arrived here; that boy with the contract, for starters…"

As soon as she mentioned it, Minato visibly tensed. "… Let's not talk about that, Nee-san…"

"Why? What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

The boy decided that staring at the floor rather than his sister's face was more prudent at this moment. "I don't know… it's just that I get this really bad feeling about it…"

Silence fell upon the two, the older sister looking on as the younger brother finally decided to stop looking at the floor… when his stomach growled.

"You skipped lunch, didn't you, Minato?"

* * *

After helping Minato finish unpacking his belongings in his room and talking about random subjects over cup ramen, Karin told him goodnight and headed back to her own room on the third floor.

Looking at the time on her bedside clock, she noticed that it wasn't that late. The day didn't pass very quickly or slowly in particular either; other than overhearing students gossiping over some rumor and giving Junpei an answer to a question he wasn't paying attention to, absolutely nothing out the ordinary happened.

Deciding there was nothing better to do (and there was nothing she wanted to watch on television at the moment, either), she all but flopped on her bed, took out her cell phone and sent a text message to one of the contacts before settling in for the night.

* * *

In a certain room of the dormitory, Mitsuru and Yukari stood before a large console, monitoring readings over a large screen. To one side, video footage of Karin and Minato asleep in their respective rooms while various separate sets of bar and line graphs for the two of them moved about on the other.

After a moment, the door opened, and the Chairman entered the room, alerting both students to his presence.

"Working hard?" he asked. When the other two gave him stiff nods in response, he inquired further, "So, how are they doing?"

"They went to bed a little while ago," Mitsuru said mechanically. "They're both asleep now. Mr. Chairman, do you think they…?"

"Let's wait and see for now." Ikutsuki moved to join Mitsuru and a nervous Yukari at the console. "… The **Dark Hour** is approaching."

_Tick. -11:59:57-_

Mitsuru took a look at an expensive watch. Yukari twiddled her thumbs nervously, her brow furrowed.

_Tick. -11:59:58-_

There was no change whatsoever on the view of the older sibling. Ikutsuki laced his fingers together behind his back, waiting patiently.

_Tick. -11:59:59-_

Yukari looked back to the giant monitor just in time to notice the younger boy in the bottom square pull the plaid-patterned blanket further over himself and shiver. The pattern almost matched the color of his hair.

_Tick. _

_**-12:00:00-**_

The pink-clad junior let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding as everything around her and the other two occupants of the room changed. The moon outside took on an unnatural shade of yellow, bathing everything it shone on in sickly green. The large monitor, however, remained powered on, unaffected by the change. The same two people remained in view with all the animated squiggly lines and rising and falling bars from the graphs.

The Chairman, quirking an eyebrow, was the first to say something. "Hmmm… they're still sleeping. The Dark Hour occurs every day and 12 midnight; you could say it's the 'hidden' hour. During this time, an ordinary person transmogrifies into a coffin, and is oblivious to anything that occurs."

Yukari gave the lone older male an anxious look. "Then, they must be…"

"As you can see, the Arisato siblings have retained their human forms. Though asleep, they're definitely experiencing the Dark Hour." Ikutsuki adjusted his glasses for a moment. "The only question that remains is whether or not they have the potential. Although they must… if not, they surely would have been preyed on by now."

"Scary," Yukari said, shivering a little.

Mitsuru remained silent the entire time, her attention focused on the steadily recording video footage. Karin had remained soundly asleep the entire time; the same could have been said for Minato, but he had buried himself even further under his blankets, as though he'd gotten a chill.

"In any case," Ikutsuki said with an air of finality, "we should monitor them for a few more days."

"Yes sir," the crimson-haired senior said without a moment's hesitation.

Yukari sighed, looking down at her feet. "I feel kind of bad though, spying on them like this…"

* * *

"…_Master…"_

She heard the voice distinctly in her mind, but she didn't know where it was coming from. All she knew was that as she was opening her eyes, she was heading for a mysterious door…

"… _Master Arisato Karin…"_

… Or that mysterious door was headed for her. Just as her eyes fully opened, so did that door, and a flash of light blinded her.

As her sight came back into focus, the first thing she noticed was that she was in an elevator.

It was an elevator, decked entirely in blue. The pointer on the dial near the top of the elevator was spinning round and round rapidly.

What was strange, however, was that she was sitting in a sort of ornate, black wooden chair. Sitting across from her on a slightly lower, but expensive looking and infinitely more comfortable blue chair was an old man with pointy ears, a long nose, and the creepiest grin. With one white gloved hand, he motioned to Karin with long bony fingers and greeted her politely in a slightly raspy voice.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."


	4. Crisis

**Crisis**

* * *

"… Pardon?"

It was the first word that came to mind, and she said it at once.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," the old (and very long-nosed) man repeated with a slight chuckle. "My name is Igor; I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

Karin's mind still couldn't quite wrap around the fact that she was where she currently was. "The Velvet Room?" she questioned, quirking an eyebrow as her crimson eyes darted about the elevator. "…Where exactly am I, anyway er, Igor-san?"

Igor didn't seem to mind the question at all; he simply motioned with his gloved hand again. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter; only those who have signed a contract can enter this place."

It was then that Karin noticed the signed paper on the table. As her eyes widened slightly, the paper disappeared again, and her attention was shifted back to the pointy-eared old man. "That's the paper I signed… a boy in striped pajamas handed that to me the night I got here. Did you get it from him or something?"

"Perhaps," Igor answered, "or perhaps not. Regardless, you shall be henceforth welcome in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask for one thing in return: that you abide by the contract, and assume responsibility for the choices you make."

Karin couldn't hide her skepticism at this prospect if she tried. "… I'm 'destined' to 'hone' my 'unique ability?'" she asked. "What do you mean? And you still didn't answer my question about the boy in striped pajamas."

The long-nosed man still didn't answer her-not that she expected him to. He seemed like everyone else she'd met since she arrived at this dorm so far: secretive and purposely avoiding her questions for some stupid reason. His bloodshot eyes already seemed to stare right through her, as if he knew everything about her already, and that in itself was unsettling.

Chuckling lightly for the third time since this sort-of-but-sort-of-not dream started, he finally said, "It seems you'll prove to be an interesting guest… Hold on to this…"

He motioned towards the blue-covered table between them, where a small blue key materialized from some kind of aura. Cautiously, Karin picked it up and examined it. The key was completely unremarkable; aside from its odd color (as if being in a constantly moving elevator wasn't weird enough already), it was an old-fashioned key, one used to unlocking doors in houses Karin used to watch in old black-and-white films.

"That is the Velvet Key," explained Igor. "It will allow you to return to this place when the time comes."

"When the time comes?" the girl questioned, more to herself than to the old man. "This week just keeps getting better."

If Igor seemed to even remotely mind the fact that she kept asking questions that he wouldn't answer, then his face never showed it. To Karin, his never-changing face reminded him of a certain blue-haired younger brother, minus the eerie chill running down her spine.

"There is still one more resident of this room, who could not be present for your arrival. But I'll make sure you two are properly introduced."

"When is that supposed to be?" Karin huffed, even though she figured she was being rude.

"At another time, perhaps." With yet another motion of that same gloved hand, Karin's chair started sliding in the direction of the open door behind her. "Till we meet again…"

"Eh?" Karin was taken by surprise. "But what about the boy in striped-"

*BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!*

Karin's eyes snapped open, and she found that she was sitting bolt upright in bed, arm reaching out in front of her. "… pajamas…"

Instinctively, she looked across her room to the window. It was dawn. She turned to her clock on the bedside table. _6:43,_ it read, with occasional flashes of _4/09_ on the display.

"Huh… Two minutes to spare," she quipped to herself, deciding to climb out of bed. "That dream was something else, though…"

* * *

_Dorm, 2__nd__ Floor Hall: Early Morning_

Minato closed the door to his room behind him, leaning against the door for a moment in an attempt to stay awake. His slumber had been erratic, at best.

After a few minutes, he stood and started down the hall, knowing he would be late if he stuck around the dorm too long. His sister would probably poke her head down the corridor and call for him like she did the previous morning, which had been enough to rouse him from half-slumber and rush out the door.

Today, he decided, would not be the case. But that was before he passed a door directly to his right in the middle of the hall.

It opened just as soon as he had walked by. The bluenette paused and turned, watching as a male high school student stepped over the threshold, carrying his suitcase-like bag in one black gloved hand while holding his uniform jacket in the other over his shoulder. He had silver hair and grey eyes, and wore a red vest over his white school-issued dress shirt along with black pants and shoes.

Minato had never seen him before; he only assumed that this was one other person that Ikutsuki said lived in the dorm, a name which eluded him at the moment.

The student had already turned to lock his door when he noticed Minato's presence, paused, and turned to him, silver hues reflecting slight surprise and confusion.

A full minute passed in complete silence. The older student inclined his head slightly. "Um… is something the matter?"

"Oh!" Minato seemed to regain his senses, realized that he was staring, and that it was impolite to stare. He hastily shook his head. "Uh… no, nothing at all. I apologize for my rudeness…" The blue-haired youth bowed, quickly turned about face, and started down the hall once more at a brisk pace. He was sure the older boy thought he was crazy, but pushed it aside when he heard footsteps on the stairs between the second and third floors followed by Karin's voice.

"Little bro! You there?"

"Coming, Nee-san!" he called back, finally spotting her just a few steps higher than him.

Karin's red eyes looked on at him, surveying his face. "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"N-nothing," the boy said defensively. "You're not going with Takeba-san today?"

"I think she left early or something, I haven't seen her." He was glad to see her focus on something else as they continued down the stairs.

Karin continued speaking as they headed through the lounge and out the front doors to the dorm, attempting to inquire about her brother's health with little success. Neither of them noticed Mitsuru sitting in the one of the chairs in the lounge sipping a cup of tea.

Not too long after the door closed and the elder sister's voice faded from outside, the silver-haired student came downstairs. He spotted the female senior and walked over, stopping at the front desk.

"Hey, Mitsuru?"

"Hmm?"

"What's an elementary school kid doing here in the dorm?"

"Ah, that," Mitsuru replied as though it were nothing unusual, only making him look even more puzzled. "He's the younger brother of a transfer student who arrived the other day. There was a mix-up in the room arrangements, it seems."

The student quirked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything at first. After a moment, he picked up his school bag and reached for the door. "Waiting for a ride?"

"You're going to be late for school, Akihiko."

"I'll go on ahead then."

"That would be for the best."

* * *

_Gekkoukan High, Classroom 2-F: After School_

The classroom was lively with chatter after classes ended for the day. While students complained about the boring classic literature class that morning, taught by the equally boring Mr. Ekoda, Karin was tuning them out with the music in her headphones as she placed her belongings in her bag, eager to get back to the dorm.

She walked back with Yukari after meeting her by the shoe lockers, making small talk as they passed by a mall not too far from the train station. Yukari caught her looking on at the large building and proceeded to tell her all about it.

"That's Paulownia Mall. Lots of students come here after school. There's karaoke, a music store that sells CDs, and a really great café!"

"CDs, huh?" Karin removed her headphones, still hearing the upbeat song she'd been listening to. "It's been a long time since I actually owned one."

"There's also a nightclub, but that's not really for us, yet," her fellow junior added.

"Don't you think that's kind of irrelevant?"

"… Good point."

**…**

_Dorm, 1__st__ Floor Lounge: Evening_

When the two juniors arrived at the dorm that evening, they found Mitsuru standing behind the front counter by some computers Karin never noticed before. The crimson-haired senior looked up at once, and greeted them with a business-like, "Welcome back."

Yukari stiffly responded before excusing herself and heading right for the dining area. Minato was descending the stairs from the second floor at the same time; upon seeing his sister, he practically jumped the last two stairs and ran over to her. "Welcome back, Nee-san."

"Hey, little bro." Karin started to ruffle his hair like usual, but thought better of it. "Were you waiting for me?"

"Well…" Minato's face flushed slightly. "You usually catch up with me when coming back here, so…"

"Don't worry about me. I stopped by someplace with Yukari to get dinner. Sorry, it's instant ramen again." Karin held up a small plastic bag.

"Ah… okay." Minato nodded. "I'll go put on the water, then."

As he headed off to the kitchen area, Karin heard a slight chuckle from Mitsuru.

"Pardon me," the senior apologized. "It's just that you seem very… close."

"Eh? It's not a problem, senpai." Karin shook her head, all the while choosing her words carefully. "… Do you have any siblings?"

"I'm an only child."

"Oh. I see." Karin suddenly felt awkward. In an attempt to change the subject, she pointed to one of the computers. "What are those for?"

"These computers are networked to the school," Mitsuru answered. "They send daily reports of life here in the dorm."

"I see," Karin answered, trying to get a better look at them. She paused when she saw the senior's crimson eyes on her.

"Unauthorized use is prohibited."

"Understood." It was a mechanical response, but the first word Karin thought of, so she said it and hastily retreated. Kirijo didn't seem like the type to engage in idle conversation very often, the brunette assumed; her mannerisms, speech, and queenly air clearly pointed to wealth, which was a completely different world than her own.

Pushing the thought aside, Karin joined her brother in the kitchen to finish preparing the instant noodles and ate them in the lounge at Minato's suggestion (he thought Takeba looked sort of left out sitting there by herself).

* * *

_Dorm, a Certain Room: Dark Hour_

Resuming from where they had left off the previous night, Mitsuru, Yukari, and the chairman once again looking at readings on the large console before them. The lone older man had just arrived not too long ago, and was cleaning his glasses as he addressed the crimson-haired senior.

"… How are they?" he asked, referring to the images of Karin and Minato in their respective rooms on screen.

"The same as last night," Mitsuru responded.

Ikutsuki hummed to himself as he put on his eyewear and continued to gaze at the monitor. "… Very interesting, Karin-san is. Even those who have the potential tend to be unstable at first, what with the memory loss and disorientation."

He turned directly to Mitsuru. "This subject is unique; she hasn't exhibited any of the common symptoms." He frowned slightly. "Minato-kun hasn't either, but I'm concerned about these erratic readings. Even if he has the potential, it's probably…"

"We're treating them like guinea pigs!" Yukari interjected, glaring fiercely at the chairman. "And Minato-kun is just a kid!"

"It is a concerning topic, given his age," Mitsuru calmly stated.

"I understand," Ikutsuki replied, "but it's imperative that we recruit new members." After a moment's pause, he addressed Yukari directly. "I heard she's in your class, Takeba-san. You would be more comfortable working with someone from the same grade, wouldn't you?"

"Maybe," Yukari started, "but still…"

The rest of her sentence was drowned out by the sound of an emergency alarm ringing throughout the room. Mitsuru immediately picked up the receiver.

"Command room. Is that you, Akihiko?"

"You're not gonna believe this! It's huge!" the male senior's voice cracked from the speaker. "Don't have time to talk, though, it's chasing me. I just wanted to let you guys know. I'm almost there."

Yukari gasped. "He's bringing that thing here?"

Mitsuru visibly tensed, yet her voice never wavered when she spoke. "Mr. Chairman, let's suspend our operation for now. We'll prepare for battle."

"…R-Right! Be careful!" The man adjusted his glasses nervously.

She turned to Yukari, who nodded warily, and the two students headed out the room, with the chairman trailing them.

* * *

_Dorm, 1__st__ Floor Lounge: Dark Hour_

The three of them found Akihiko leaning against the front door of the dorm, wincing slightly as though in pain.

"Akihiko!" Mitsuru called out as she reached him first.

"I'm alright," the silver-haired teenager said with a smirk. "Get ready to be surprised, it'll be here any second."

"This is no time to joke around!" his fellow senior admonished him.

"Is it one of them, Akihiko?" Ikutsuki asked.

"Yes, but it's not an ordinary one," Akihiko started.

He probably would have continued, but something slammed into the door behind him, nearly making him fall.

Yukari almost screamed. "What the…? You've gotta be kidding me!"

Mitsuru reached for something strapped in a holster around her waist. "Mr. Chairman, head for the command room," she said calmly, though it sounded more like a direct order. "Takeba, go upstairs and wake up the Arisato and her brother. Then, escape out the back."

"What about you two?"

"We'll stop it here. You led it to us, Akihiko, so I'm afraid you'll have to fight."

"Like I had a choice!" Akihiko snapped. His grey eyes glared at Yukari. "What are you waiting for, Takeba? Go!"

The junior didn't need telling thrice, shouting a quick "I'm going!" as she turned and bolted up the stairs.

* * *

"Takeba-san?"

Karin was already jolted awake thanks to the muffled noise downstairs, followed by loud sounds and what sounded like shattering glass. Yukari's panicked knocking didn't help matters any, especially when she found the other junior outside her door with a tight grip on her little brother's arm and holding a weapon in her other hand. Perhaps it was the unnatural green atmosphere she was just becoming aware of right now, but he looked worse than he had ever been since they arrived in Iwatodai. His expression was sullen, and his messy blue hair and tired eyes didn't help at all.

"Takeba-san, what's going on?" she demanded. "Why's Minato-"

"No time to explain. We have to get outta here, now!"

The sound of something being smashed echoing from the first floor told Karin she wouldn't be getting any answers out of Takeba yet. "Alright, but you'd better tell me later!"

"Hurry downstairs! We'll leave through the back!" Yukari started to turn, but paused. Letting go of Minato for a moment, she turned and handed the weapon to the darker brunette. "Here. Take this, just in case."

A chill ran down Karin's spine when she recognized what the weapon was. "It's a naginata…"

"Let's go!" Yukari called out desperately, as though she were about to start bawling right then and there.

Karin left her room, closing the door behind her. Taking Minato's hand, she followed Yukari downstairs.

* * *

The lounge was a terrible sight when the trio reached the first floor. Windows were shattered, and it looked as though something had torn apart a couple of the chairs. Even the coffee table was split in half, as though something had been slammed on it.

Karin gasped. _What the heck could do such a thing…?_

"This way!" Yukari called from the kitchen area.

"Right." Karin started to walk ahead, but Minato's hand grabbed her sleeve, stopping her. She turned, to find him looking at her with a fearful blue-gray eye, the other covered by blue fringe. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

"Minato, cut it out! We've got to go."

"Not that way." The boy spoke haltingly. "Doesn't feel right." His visible eye darted left and right, as though looking for something.

The brunette's brow furrowed. "This is the only way out, little bro. Come on!" She started ahead of him, gently pulling him along. To her surprise, he didn't pull away; he kept looking around him, as though expecting something to jump out at them at any moment.

… His behavior was making Karin feel on edge.

Yukari had just fished out the keys from her pocket by the time they reached her. "Alright, we should be safe now," she started before a beeping sound interrupted her, followed by a familiar voice.

"Takeba, do you read me?" Mitsuru's voice crackled slightly from the small radio the cardigan-wearing junior carried.

"Be careful, there's more than one enemy! The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw!"

"What?" Yukari exclaimed, just in time for something to slam hard against the back door she was about to open. When it slammed again, Karin could feel Minato's grip on her sleeve threaten to pull her to the ground.

"Can't go that way," he murmured. "It's right out there.

The three of them backed away from the door as something slammed against it a third time.

"L-let's pull back!" Yukari shouted, though that could've gone without saying as she, Minato, and Karin ran away from the back door and blindly back to the stairs.

* * *

_Dorm, Rooftop: Dark Hour_

_***SLAM***_

Karin nearly collapsed by her brother as Yukari locked the door to the roof.

"There… we're safe for now… I think," she said uncertainly.

"But there's still something out there," Karin said grimly. "What if-"

She stopped herself from speaking as something growled.

"Nee-san," Minato murmured, his voice barely audible.

The other two girls turned around, following the frightened boy's gaze as a large, black hand gripped the edge of the roof. Another hand followed, and then another one holding a mask rose.

The hand turned the mask to either side, as though looking for something, before it fixed its empty gaze on them. As the large black creature emerged completely on the roof, many of its hands- and it was nothing but arms and hands- raised themselves into the air, arming themselves with materialized swords.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Yukari complained loudly. "It climbed up the wall?"

"It's NOTHING BUT ARMS!" Karin snapped. "What is it, anyway?"

"It's called a Shadow," Yukari explained, trying to stand her ground in front of the approaching creature. Her hand reached for the gun Karin had seen her with before, holstered in a belt around her waist. "… Okay, I have to fight. I-I can summon mine… No problem…"

"Summon?" Minato, still wide-eyed and oddly alert, sounded confused when he asked. "Nee-san, what is she talking about?"

"Takeba-san!" Karin called out, but the lighter brown-haired girl ignored her, drawing the gun and aiming it at her own head.

"Takeba!" Throwing caution to the wind, Karin left her brother's side and ran towards the other girl. Sure, she still barely knew Yukari, but she wasn't about to let the girl commit suicide.

The hand holding the shadow's mask turned ever so slightly to face Yukari, and two of the hands grasping blades swung, glowing with a bright red aura.

Karin felt the impact from behind as she ended up colliding with Takeba, the blur of something silver passing her line of vision.

Somewhere, Minato's anguished cry echoed in the night.

* * *

"What do you mean, 'Wait?'" Akihiko's shouting echoed in the command room. "There's a KID out there with them and you expect me to sit here?"

"Exactly," Ikutsuki answered the silver-haired senior calmly. He was still gazing at surveillance footage playing on the console monitor before them; several smaller screens showed different angles of the two juniors and the young boy on the rooftop with a large, many-armed creature with one hand holding a mask. "You didn't emerge from your last fight unscathed."

Mitsuru was visibly on edge, torn between rushing to the roof like Akihiko was about to do and watching the scene unfold before her. "That shadow… just what is it we're dealing with?" she murmured.

"I'm not stickin' around to find out," Akihiko growled. "I'm going ahead Mitsuru!"

Before the Chairman could say anything else to dissuade him, the young man walked right out of the room. Mitsuru only looked at the door after it slammed shut, stopping her current train of thought.

"Mitsuru," he started, but her raised hand told him to be quiet.

"Please stay here," she said, though it sounded more like an order.

"You're going after Akihiko?"

"This is an emergency situation, Mr. Chairman." Mitsuru walked over to the door and opened it. She started to step over the threshold, but gave the older man one last glance. "We must take appropriate measures."

With that, the door closed behind her, leaving Ikutsuki alone.

* * *

Karin's eyes snapped open. At once, she felt the pain in her back. As her sight focused, she saw a small figure hanging in mid-air. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to discern who it was.

"Nee-san!"

The cry forced the fog from her mind quickly, and she was fully alert again. She realized with a jolt that the figure hanging a few feet in the air was, in fact, Minato being held in the grip of one of the shadow's many arms, a blade hovering dangerously close.

"Minato!" Karin moved to stand up at once, her hand brushing against something cold and metallic. Without thinking, she looked down at the object underneath her fingers-

… It was Yukari's gun.

Minato cried out as the arm of the shadow gripping him pinned him to the brick wall next to the locked door. Tears were streaming from his eyes, which were locked on the shadow's mask and the blade pointed at his throat.

Karin wanted to move, but legs refused to budge. _Damn it… I… I can't move!_

She looked around wildly. She caught sight of Yukari just a few feet away, lying on her side; she was unconscious. Her eyes darted back to the gun underneath her fingertips.

"_What are you sitting there for?"_

_That voice…!_ The girl's attention focused on the small boy wearing striped clothes standing in front of the locked door. His eerie blue eyes seemed to stare right through her.

"_If you don't do it, he will die."_

_Do what?_

"_You should know already."_ The dark-haired boy lifted up his hand, fingers curled except for the index and thumb.

Karin's hands balled into fists.

"_Go on…"_

Karin grasped the gun and slowly lifted it to her head, oblivious to the pounding of the rooftop door.

Something thrummed in the back of her mind when cold metal touched her temple. Instinctively raising her free arm to her chest, she felt her heart pounding.

Everything seemed to slow down to a crawl. The gun shook unsteadily in Karin's hand as her breathing quickened and beads of sweat formed on her brow.

"_Why do you have a gun?"_

"_It's for protection… it's not a real one, of course…"_

"… _I can summon mine… No problem…"_

"_If you don't do it, he will die."_

A bitter smile appeared on the girl's face.

Karin forced her hand steady, her grip a little tighter on the trigger. The something in the back of her mind stirred a little more, as if reacting to her sudden change.

She stood to full height, letting her free hand fall to her side. This was something she had to do; there was no other way around it.

"Per… so… na…"

Her lips formed the word without her even thinking of it.

Still unaware of Yukari coming to or the rooftop door finally bursting open, Karin pulled the trigger.

_*BANG*_

* * *

**A/N: Ugh, this took a long time to write. I did finish this previously about a week ago, but I took a second look at it and was like, "the last third of this chapter sucks, let me fix that." Thus we have this... thing. Honestly, I like this better than what I did have, which followed the source material a bit more strictly. Granted, I am not quite sure if it really works.**

**I've also become aware that the fic so far seems kind of flat. Even Karin and Minato come off as doormats in their own way. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten to the good part yet, which means that one thing we like to call "Character Development." At this point, it's still rather... slow.**

**I sincerely hope that as I continue to write this, however long it may take (or until I discontinue it, lol) that I do craft an already tired story into something enjoyable, even if it's on this site.**

**That being said, this note has gone on far too long. Until next chapter, folks.**

**~Kaze**


	5. Invoke Persona

**A/N: I've decided to just update this chapter with the corrections. Rewrote some stuff, too, so *hopefully* it's not as... boring. If you can even call it that much. The last of the introductory stuff should be wrapped up in the next chapter (or two, depending on things), and then I can finally REALLY get into the story. I still have no clue how I'm going to deal with the Social Links, however.**

**... Just a heads up, writing action/fight scenes really isn't my strong point, so sorry if its crappy.**

**Again, feel free to review this chapter and the previous chapter or ignore them completely. It's up to you.**

**Disclaimer: Atlus owns Persona 3 and all related stuff.**

* * *

**Invoke Persona**

* * *

He was sure that was the sound of a real gunshot he had heard, yet he saw no blood.

Minato could only watch as what looked like fragments of glass erupted from his sister's head.

In the unnatural green night, she seemed glow with a blue aura at her feet, and the "glass" began to take shape.

"Mitsuru! Look!" The high school senior that had knocked open the door-and looked worse for wear- caught sight of it, too, and pointed it out to Kirijo as though she was completely oblivious to it.

The growing "shape" floating just above Karin's head eventually formed a being with short light hair and glowing red eyes. Minato found it especially odd; a peculiar article of red cloth formed a combination of headband and scarf over the head and around where the neck- if it even had one. Its body was clearly mechanical, with identical patterns of holes near its shoulders and some kind of speaker built into the torso. A large lyre was attached to its back.

"… N… Nee-san," Minato murmured softly, completely at a loss for words.

* * *

"_Though art I…"_

Karin slowly opened her eyes, which she didn't realize she had closed.

"… _and I am thou."_

It was a male's voice was coming from the robotic-looking person floating behind her. She didn't have to turn her head to know he was there.

"… _I am Orpheus, Master of Strings. From the sea of thy soul I cometh."_

All she knew was that nothing could stop her from doing what she needed to do…

… Until a sickening, cold feeling suddenly pierced her very being, making her head burn with pain and her stomach twist about in knots.

Tears blurred her vision as her legs gave way and she buckled, gripping the sides of her head with both hands. Something clattered on the ground next to her, but she didn't see what it was.

The girl took a deep breath…

… And she screamed.

* * *

Before the seniors' and Yukari's eyes, the being hovering above Arisato started to writhe as the girl started to scream. Its head seemed forced upward as a hand protruded from its mouth, and then another. They subsequently ripped apart their host from inside, revealing another, more sinister masked being with a mantle of coffins. Armed with its sword, it roared and charged at the Shadow, who had long since taken notice of the sight before it and tried to attack but to no avail.

A flurry of blurred sword strikes severed the shadow's mask and several of its arms.

"What the hell…?" Akihiko exclaimed. Beside him, Mitsuru gasped. Yukari covered her mouth with both hands, wide-eyed and fearful.

With another slash of the blade, the blue-haired boy was free of the arm that pinned him to the floor. Before he could run to the auburn-haired girl struggling to stay conscious as the masked "man" continued attacking the shadow, Akihiko took hold of him by his shirt, stopping him in his tracks.

"Not so fast, kid!" he exclaimed. "It's dangerous!"

"Let me go!" The boy weakly struggled to get loose. "Nee-san! Nee-san!"

The masked man snatched a wriggling piece of the destroyed shadow from the floor, squeezing it until black ooze sprayed everywhere like a tiny fountain. Turning to the enormous moon in the sky, it roared one last time.

In the blink of an eye, the "robot" once more hovered in place above the girl, who had straightened herself into a sitting position. She looked like she hadn't slept well in days, and her breathing was labored, as though she'd run a marathon.

Akihiko finally turned the boy loose, who immediately ran over to her and took hold of her shirt.

He turned to Mitsuru, his brow furrowed. "What the hell kinda power was that?" he asked. "She trashed that shadow like it was nothing!"

Mitsuru shook her head. "… This is far beyond what I expected. No doubt the Chairman will think the same."

* * *

Her vision was blurred and hazy. Somewhere, a boy's voice kept calling out for her.

"… -san! Nee-san!"

Minato's frail form all but crashed into her, his face pressed into her shoulder. He was shaking violently, sobbing into her shirt. Above her, Orpheus floated silently, though he was slowly disintegrating as pieces of clear glass that drifted like snowflakes around her until they faded, and she could feel the presence of the mechanical young man in her mind.

She gave him a tired smile. "It's okay, little bro… I'm okay."

The statement was only half the truth; a burning sensation lingered in her chest, as though her lungs hadn't gotten enough air. Was this what a near death experience felt like?

Shaking the thought aside, she started to become more aware of her surroundings. Yukari was shaken and speechless, but nonetheless alright, and Mitsuru was walking over to her at a brisk pace along with an unfamiliar male student wearing a red vest.

"Arisato," she started, addressing the junior by her last name, when several low growls made everyone pause.

Ahead of the group of students, grotesque, dark blobs with crudely formed arms and dragged themselves toward the group, making sickening squelching noises with their hands. The soulless expressions etched on their masks were similar to the large shadow that was hacked to pieces just a minute ago.

Minato instantly recoiled, glaring at them with red-rimmed eyes and clutching the sides of his head. "… Wh-what is this…? These voices… why can I hear them…?"

Yukari squeaked and started reaching for her gun, only to find that she didn't have it.

It was lying in a pool of blood next to Karin. The darker brunette picked up the weapon as she rose.

"Minato, I'm going to need you to stand back," Karin instructed, and she sensed his attention had immediately focused on her. "Go over to Takeba-san, and stay there."

"But…"

"I've got something to take care of first. You understand, right?"

The young boy gulped. "… Y-yes. Be careful, Nee-san…" Without another word, she heard his footfalls heading off in the direction of the rooftop door.

As soon as he reached Yukari, she looked right into Karin's eyes. When the darker brunette simply nodded, she whispered something to Minato and they both left through the door.

Karin again placed the barrel of the gun to her temple. She felt Mitsuru's eyes on her, and sensed the senior's concern.

"Arisato…"

"I'm okay," the brunette responded, pulling the trigger.

At that moment, the smaller shadows lunged, although one was immediately crushed under Orpheus' lyre as he was summoned for the second time.

Two more shadows lunged from other side of the fading form and lunged at Karin. The girl stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over a pole in the process and slammed her back against the wall.

One of the approaching shadows was destroyed a second later by what appeared to be vaguely human with blond hair and a needle in place of one of its hands.

She didn't get a chance to look, however, as the second came at her right away. Without thinking, she shut her eyes grabbed for the pole she had kicked aside and swung it, slicing the shadow in half.

Opening one eye, she recognized the weapon she was holding was the naginata Yukari handed to her before this all started.

While she used the blade-on-a-stick as support to get herself back on her feet again, two more shadows were dispatched by ice that flew from what seemed to be an armored woman hovering near Mitsuru, shattering beautifully after two swift strikes from its rapier and short sword. The last of them sat in the middle of the roof, mask rising slightly on a lump, turning as though sizing up the situation.

It wouldn't get a chance to run.

With a last burst of energy, Karin lunged with the naginata and swung. The blade sliced the creature's mask in half, which burned away like acid along with the rest of its remains.

All was silent.

"… It's over," Mitsuru finally said, absolutely sure of herself.

"About time," Karin said. She held the naginata upright, letting her weight sag against it. She felt completely drained.

"Arisato," Mitsuru started to address her, but didn't finish as the junior turned to face her.

"I'm okay," Karin said with a tired smile, starting back into the building. "Just to see that my brother's alright and to take a-"

Her hand let go of the naginata; it sounded like it clattered on the surface some distance away. She felt herself falling, and her world went dark.

* * *

Familiar music started to play, causing Karin to stir. When she opened her eyes she realized she was sitting in a chair in the middle of a room she recognized.

"The… Velvet Room…?" she questioned, her voice slightly hoarse for some reason.

"It's nice to see you again."

The girl's head snapped forward so fast her neck hurt. She'd forgotten about the little old man with the very long nose and creepy-as-hell grin.

"I-Igor-san, was it? What am I doing here again? What happened?"

"You fell unconscious after awakening to your new 'power,'" Igor answered obligingly. After a short pause, he chuckled, "I see that it was Orpheus that heeded your calling."

"Orpheus…" Karin barely remembered the mechanical young man with the lyre that emerged from her after shooting herself in the head, only because her mind went almost blank from the surge of pain and sickness afterward.

"That power is called 'Persona,' a manifestation of your psyche. It is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli." Igor's eyes never seemed to move as his explanation went on. "Think of it as a 'mask' that protects you as you brave many hardships."

"Persona… that's right," Karin recalled. "After I said that word, Orpheus appeared." She looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers before refocusing her attention on the old man. "That's my power, huh?"

Igor nodded. "Using your ability requires that you channel your inner strength. The ability evolves as you develop your social links- your emotional ties with others. The stronger they are, the more powerful your Persona ability… Please remember that."

Although the teenage girl didn't get half of what he said, she nodded anyway. "I'll… keep that in mind."

At that moment, the chair she sat in started to drift away from Igor and the little round table between them. All the while, Igor sounded as though he were still sitting right across from her.

"Time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you here any longer."

Everything faded to black as she heard the sound of a door closing in front of her.

"Next time we meet," Igor concluded, "you will come here of your own accord. Until then, farewell."


End file.
